Coverage for 30 day programs

I have a family member in NYC.Addicted to Xanax and Cocaine,likely more.There is a long histry of abuse and I believe the only way to possibly kick it ,is,with long treatment . The outpatient programs have failed.My suggestion for 30 day ,has been denied.This too ha been my long term suggestion.I am now told that ,Ins.will no longer pay for anything but out patient.The addict simply knows how to play the enabelers .The addict is the one whom continues to tell how and when treatment will be .Again,the 30 day suggestion this week was met with the excuse??? ,Ins.will not pay for it.We are talking about a 33 yr old.living in a single parent home,PAYS RENT,however ,its basically an adult ,still being taken care of by mother.Mother has been totally enabeling ,to the point,mother continues to make Dr.appts.drive the addict around ,care for addicts dog ,on and on.My belief it,at this point ,total seperation of family ,with professional help for all ,is a must.As we know,all members of family become sick when confronted with an addict living in the home.I live far away ,and.know a bit of substance abuse .The sickness is very obviou to all ,but the immediate family.Sorry for the long wind.My ? is,does ANYONE know if ,IT"S TRUE.that 30 day ,or longer rehab ,is n longer provided for by ins.companies.I believe we are talking about Blue Cross of NY,perhaps other as well.Addict does have a nice job ,when addict gets there ,and Im told great health ins. Thanks for all help

I will tell you that there is nothing you can do. This is not your job, not your responsibility. I know that is not what you want to hear but it is true. It is obvious that your addict has no intention of getting help whether there is coverage or not. It is his decision, his insurance, his addiction. Your mother is contributing and there is nothing you can do there either except be supportive when they need you as long as you set boundaries. This is your mother's choice and she is not as naive as you think. She knows what is happening. She is afraid for him too and her instinct is to protect.

I know it is heartbreaking watching this, it makes you angry, disgusted, frustrated and just plain breaks your heart.

See my mother died mid 2010 of alcoholism. She and my brother, who is in his early 40s and is an alcoholic also, lived in this house together and supported each other in their drinking. I always thought that getting my brother out would help my mom quit but she refused to kick him out. They kind of leaned on each other in their alcoholism. My mom refused to kick my brother out despite that he stole from here, came close to burning the house down a couple of times, was constantly stealing money and then he would buy booze with it for him and her thinking that if she had something to drink she wouldn't complain as much. In a way he was right but I blame him in huge part because she was disabled and couldn't get to the store so without him she was sober. They both sobbed sober about how bad things are but neither did anything about it.

My mother didn't kick him out because she knew that if she kicked him out he wouldn't survive on the streets. He would be sleeping in alleys, bumming for change. Our biggest fear is that he will freeze to death while walking the streets through the winter.

When my mother passed I got the house and the brother. He was supposed to move out when I moved in and he got his inheritance but it didn't happen. He came and went when he chose, he stole from us regularly, food, money, supplies, so after a couple of months we put a lock on the fridge, locked him bedroom windows at night and he finally got the hint and stopped coming. Now he says he doesn't stop by cause he is afraid of me, good. So is he living on the streets? Possibly sometimes when he and his lady friend fight. I can't worry about that. It is his life. It was my mother's life. Nothing I could do except let her know how much I love her as she died.

Your brother doesn't want help, isn't ready for help. If he is forced to go into a 30 day program the chances of it working are slim because he is not 'in' it. He is there due to threats not because he wants help. They go in, do their 'time', manipulate everyone around them still, and then when they get out they go to the nearest store or dealer.

You need to learn to step back. Go to an Alanon meeting, see if you can get your mother and the rest of the family involved also. They are not going to give you a magic formula to help get your brother sober. They are going to teach you how to live your life with an addict in the family. They support you and teach you.

Yes chances are his insurance pays for 30 days. My mother had Federal Blue Cross and Blue Shield and I know they did chances are it will make no difference. You need to step back and love and support from a distance. Your health and well being and your family's is what needs to be taken care of by you. Not your mom and brother. Go to a meeting if you can. Even in you go alone.

I am sorry that you are going through this. Please stick with us and let us know how you are doing.

Hey, just realized this is an OLD THREAD....WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM A DRUNK....

AH< well, I wrote a reply, I will let it stand.....it still might help someone............

There is no "answer" to your insurance question.

That is, every firm is different, even within the same firm -- does that make sense?

I went through this "quest" with Blue Cross. "Yes, they cover Hazelden in-patient." Great. So, everything is fine? Wait, not so fine....Have to jump through a LOT of hoops to have coverage actually cover.

+++++++++++

Blue Cross Oh, you forgot that to assure full coverage of in-patient treatment, you must go out and dance in circles under a quarter-moon at 2 a.m. in a month with an "R" in it.

Me ACCCKKK, how could I be so stupid, I did not dance, so now you only offer partial coverage.

+++++++++++

What I am trying to say with my stupid little skit above is that the plans differ, even within the same firm and all of them have a very specific protocol that must be followed TO THE LETTER --BEFORE TREATMENT STARTS -- to insure full coverage. Get them to write it down and send it to you in a dated letter!!!

Otherwise, like me, you will find yourself paying (and paying and paying).

The material on this site is for information & support purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice provided by a licensed health care provider.
Always consult your doctor before trying anything that you find online.